"Upon Blavatsky's death... a schism within the society in 1894. Seventy-five of the American branches seceded from the parent society and formed a new organization under the leadership of Judge. " [Judge died within a year and was replaced by Katherine Tingley; the org. was eventually headquartered at Point Loma, California.]; pg. 318: "The second largest group is the Theosophical Society International (now in Pasadena--formerly in Point Loma)... "

"Upon Blavatsky's death... a schism within the society in 1894. Seventy-five of the American branches seceded from the parent society and formed a new organization under the leadership of Judge. " [Judge died within a year and was replaced by Katherine Tingley; the org. was eventually headquartered at Point Loma, California.]; pg. 318: "The second largest group is the Theosophical Society International (now in Pasadena--formerly in Point Loma)... "

"The second largest group is the Theosophical Society International (now in Pasadena--formerly in Point Loma), which has a worldwide membership of about fifteen hundred with headquarters in Altadena, California. "

"I have selected the best available [statistics], providing a range where adjudication is impossible... Theosophy: Britain: Theosophical Society (1999) about 1,000, plus 200 in other Theosophical groups (Tingay's estimate)... "

"The Theosophical Society, whose international headquarters are at Adya..., now has a membership of around 35,000... The 2nd largest group is the Theosophical Society International..., which has a worldwide membership of about 1,500... The United Lodge of Theosophists has about 1,200 associates... " [Membership of these 3 groups adds up to 37,700, which would be a minimal number of Theosophists worldwide.]

Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 299.

"Hinayana. The pejorative name applied to all the early schools of Buddhism by an emergen, radical group (ca. 200 B.C.) which referred to itself as Mahayana (lit. 'large vehicle...'). Hinayana thus became a general designation for the two major early schools of Buddhism, the Sthaviras and Mahasanghikas, and their subschools (including the Theravadins). "

"The religion of the vast majority of people in the countries of Burma, Cambodia, and Laos is Buddhism in the form called Theravada... "; Pg. 295: "The only word that properly describes the role of Buddhism in the countries of Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand is pervasive. There is no aspect of a person's life in these countries which is not affected by Buddhism... "

Pg. 15: "The population of Cambodia was estimated at 7.1 million in 1972 and 8 million in 1975. "; pg. 18: "Theravada Buddhism has been the official religion in Cambodia and is followed by nearly 85% of the population. "

"The first inscription in Pali is from the yar 1309; it makes clear that the Theravada was under the protection of the royal house. Since that time it has been the dominant form of Buddhism in Cambodia. Toward the end of the 19th century the Dhammayut school of Thailand gained a foothold in Cambodia. "

"Most non-Chinese Buddhists follow the Theravada School. It is practised by the Malaysian-Thais to be found particularly in the border states of Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis which have been subject to Thai infiltration over the past three centuries. There are numerous Thai Buddhist temples, monasteries and other foundations in Kelantan The extremely beautiful Wat Putharamaran at Repek, Pasir Mas, Kelantan is the administrative centre of Thai Buddhism in that state. Kedah also boasts a good number of Thai temples and institutions and Alor Setar is the natural centre. There are also a number of Thai Buddhist temples in Perlis and important temples in Kuala Lumpur, Pulau Pinang, Ipoh and Taiping as well. "

"After the 5th century, there is evidence of a flourishing Buddhist life in Burma. Activity of the Theravada and that of another school (probably the Sarvastivada)... can be documented. In the 7th century both Hinayana and Mahayana (especially in the north) coexisted. In the following century, Buddhist Tantrism penetrated Burma. In the 11th century the entire country was converted to Theravada under the rule of King Anaratha. This spelled the end of Mahayana in Burma. The Theravada gradually assimilated the indigenous folk belief in spirits called nats and gave it a Buddhist sense. "

"80% of the Burmese people, including virtually all Burmans, are Theravada Buddhists... it is an integral part of its peoples' lives... You will find a Buddha room, or a shrine, or a simple Buddha image... in most Burmese homes. "

Theravada Buddhism

Myanmar

34,000,000

85.00%

-

-

1990

Noss., David S. & John B. Noss. A History of the World's Religions. Macmillian (1990).; pg. 227-228.

"Burma's recent population is etimated to be nearly forty million, approximately 85% Buddhist. About 5% could be described as animist, 4% Hindu, 4% Muslim and 2% Christian... The Burmese of today are profoundly Theravadin... "

"Location: Sri Lanka; Population: 18.1 million... (1995 estimate) "; Pg. 707: "Most, though not all, Sinhalese are Buddhists, who make up 69% of the population. Buddhism in Sri Lanka is of the southern type, Theravada Buddhism... The Buddhist Sangha, or order of monks, is an important element in Sri Lankan society. "

"professed religion of 95% of Thais is Theravada Buddhism. The greatest of all Thai institutions... some 300,000 monks, novices and nuns currently support Thailand's 28,000 or so Buddhist temples. "

Theravada Buddhism

world

-

-

-

-

-200 B.C.E.

Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 150.

"Buddhist Sectarianism... By around 200 B.C., a movement began... referred to itself as Mahayana... while branding the earlier Buddhist sects, which included primarily the Sthaviras, Mahasanghikas, Pudgalavadins, and Theravadins as Hinayana... "

"The Hinayana enumerates the traditions of 18 schools that developed out of the original community... Two other schools that splintered from the Sthaviras are the Sarvastivada, out of which, around 150 B.C.E., came the Sautrantikas, and the Vibhajyavadins, who see themselves as orthodox Sthaviras. Out of this last school arose the Theravada, Mahishasakas, and Kashyapiyas; from the Mahishasakas came the Dharmaguptakas. "

Theravada Buddhism

world

-

-

-

-

1981

Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally published as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 758.

"Theravada. The sole remaining active member of the group of schools collectively referred to (by Mahayanists) as Hinayana. It flourishes today in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, and is the most widely researched of all the early schools of Buddhism. "

Theravada Buddhism

world

100,000,000

-

-

-

1984

Cousins, L. S. "Buddhism " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991) [reprint; 1st published in 1984]; pg. 279.

"Theravada Buddhism, has about 100 million adherents, most of whom live in the five countries of Sri Lanka, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. Smaller numbers are found in parts of Vietnam, Bangladesh and India, and as emigrants to the U.S.A. "

"Today Hinayana Buddhism of the Theravada school is to be found in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Thailand, Burma, & Cambodia; Mahayana in China, Japan, Vietnam, and Korea; Vajrayana in Tibet, Mongolia, and Japan. "

"Southern Buddhism (known as Theravada Buddhism) has 100 million followers, mainly in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka and Thailand, and parts of Vietnam. It started in Sri Lanka when Buddhist missionaries arrived from India. "

"Only about one eighth of the 800,000 monks--or pongyis--in Burma have dedicated their entire lives to monkhood. These have renounced the world and devote their time to meditation and teaching the scriptures. "

"Bangkok Post recently reported... survey of 20,000 families throughout the country showed that only 4.5% of those living in municipal areas went to Buddhist temples regularly...; 20% said they went occasionally; & 75% said not at all... "

"Bangkok Post recently reported... survey of 20,000 families throughout the country showed that only 4.5% of those living in municipal areas went to Buddhist temples regularly...; 20% said they went occasionally; & 75% said not at all... "

"During the Hellenistic period... very little is heard about Mysteries. But at the time of the Roman Empire such religions suddenly sprang up. The best-known are the Mysteries of Isis and Mithras. However, there were also groups... The fire cult of the theurgists had a Mystery character... theurgists had a sacred book, the Chaldean Oracles. "

Diamong, Sara. Not by Politics Alone: The Enduring Influence of the Christian Right. New York: The Guilford Press (1998); pg. 61.

"Unbeknownst to most Christians, by 1976, Bright and a handful of others were also working on a project called Third Century publishers. Their goal was to prompt born-again Christians to become active in politics during the United States' bicentennial anniversary year, and beyond. Third Century published manuals explaining how Christian leaders could begin to recruit people into home study groups, with an eye toward influencing Congressional races. "

"Thompson. Their name was given to them by Europeans, referring to the Thompson River. The people called themselves ntlakyapamuk, meaning unknown... They inhabited the Thompson and Fraser River valleys, British Columbia... The Thompson were decimatd by an onslaught of miners into their territory in 1858 and by smallpox epidemics in subsequent years. The Thompson still live on narrow pieces of land in this vicinity. There may have been as many as 5,000 in 1780... "

"Thompson... They inhabited the Thompson and Fraser River valleys, British Columbia... The Thompson still live on narrow pieces of land in this vicinity. There may have been as many as 5,000 in 1780; they numbered 1,776 in 1906. "

"Certainly the most ardent and extreme of Kali's worshippers were the members of the once widespread secret society called Thugs... terrorized the Indian highways for centuries... The practice of thuggee remained an accepted part of the dangers of travel in India into the 19th century. "

Thugee

India

-

-

-

-

1850

Welles, Sam. The World's Great Religions, New York: Time Incorporated (1957); pg. 24.

"The lower classes, in their fear of the dreadful Kali, have sometimes gone to morbid extremes to please her. From the 13th to the 19th Centuries, devotees known as thugi, from which the English word thug comes, went around the countryside strangling human victims in the belief that a human sacrifice would satisfy Kali's thirst for blood for a thousand years. Even with approval of the Brahmans, who discouraged blood sacrifices, the British authorities had great difficulty in suppressing the thugi, and some Kali votaries still kill animals in her name. "

Thugee

India

-

-

-

-

1875

Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally published as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 759.

"Thug. A member of a secret hereditary cult devoted to human sacrifice, which flourished in Northern and Central India from ancient times until the late nineteenth century. The thugs were devotees of the goddess Bhavani, a form of Kali... "

"Tibet has 13.5 million inhabitants, of which 6 millions are ethnic Tibetans. The majority of the population is Chinese settlers. Tibet was invaded by China in 1949 and is, since 1951 an autonomous region in the Peoples republic of China. The land area of Tibet is about the same as the one in the European Union. The predominant religion is Lamaism, a special form of Buddhism. The religious leader of Tibet, Dalai Lama, lives in exile in India but travels much of the time in order to gain international support for the Tibet's struggle for freedom. "

"In the seventh century AD, another type of Buddhism, called Tantric Buddhism or Lamaism, was introduced into Tibet from India. With the influence of the monk Padmasambhava, it replaced the indigenous Bon religion, while at the same time taking over some of the elements of this naturalist religion. The monasteries in Tibet developed into centers of intellectual and worldly power, yet there were recurring arguments. Only the reformer Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) succeeded in rectifying conditions that had become chaotic. "

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